Toy building blocks



NOV. l, 1927. l 1,647,557

G. BARGER TOY BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Dec.1. 1926 2 sneetssneer. 2'

.Patentes Nov. i, isa?.

testi GEORGE cancun, or criiciieo, Iniziirois;y

roY BUILDING iiiociiis.,H

Application le'd December l, 1926.. Serial No. 151H,860.

Thisv invention relates to the art of toy building structiu'es, suchas those adapted to be arranged in sets for assembly by a child to form various structures and more part-icl ularly to a wood or compositionblock construction which may be manufactured in sets for building stiiictui'egsuch as houses and the like, according to predetermined specifications; l

Toys of vthe 'above noted character have a 'peculiar appeal to `most children and for the older .chilo at least provide a safe and instructive outlet vfor a rapidlygrowing iinaginat-ion and develop a childs mind in many ways. Y

Heretotore toy building structures of the character above noted have been 'constructed in various manners, but their construction either involved `expensive and complicated parts or tools and other equipment, or the blocks or units oic lwhich the resulting structures were composed or from which various fstructures might be built, were tied, keyed or interlocked together with specialA keys, pegs or the like. f Y

'The complicated structures are by that` fact diiiicult and cost-ly to manufacture, are very often easil;T broken andare not salable by reason of y their high cost. Furthermore should one or more of the units ot such a` structure become lost',4 owing to their specialized nature,v the whole set may be rein-V dered use-less. W' hen a set ot the character described is composed of'blocks which must be interlocked together with-separate keys or pins or the like, the constructional cost and the cost to the consumer are materially increased and it is 'not unusual for a child to lose' the little keys or pins whicha-re neces-k sary to keep 'the various units together and become disgusted with the toy vwith the result that hisinterest must be absorbed elsewhere.

One of the primary objects ofmy inven- K tion7 therefore, 'is tok provide a simple construction for toys of this character, a structure the individual units or blocks of whichv may be quickly and cheaply manufactured and assembled and one in which'the individual units or blocks may be interposed or interchanged in various ways for the construct-ion oli' numerousdiilierent shapes and forms of structure.

Another object is to provide a construction for individualuiiits or blocks whereby they may: be interchangeably but interlockof the other. rv,

y A still further object is .to provide a struci the-rect.

in'gly connected-or engaged with other blocks withoutthe interposition or -fuse of keys por, pins, or any other means heretofore necessary in constructing various structures troni' such units., i Y

A further object is to provide a unique type of joint for blocks or units of structures ofthe character described whichmay be `easily andCheaplyVfOrmed and utilized. ln this Vconnection a rabbet of peculiar shape is formed iii one sideofa block `or unit and adapted to receivea similarly formed tenen in another v'block by sliding the blocks together endwise of oneanother, that is, with the tenen of the one aligned with the rabbetture having a simple but effective interlocking corner construction so that two or more superposed blocks'orunits on each side of the corner will interlockwith one another and so hold thesides ofthe building or the like constructed from the blocksor unitsztogetlier and against opening up. lvlany furtherV objects', lincluding the provision of specially constructing blocks for blank walls, forconnecting a roof or the like .to theV side walls',r forl connecting the two or ii'io're sides ci a roof together at the ridge and for tying the sides of thel house or other structure together beneath the eaves or elsewhere, as may be desired," will or. should become understood and appreciated after lreading the following description and claims and after vie-wing Vthe drawing in which,

present the preferred form of my invention,- Fig. 2 .is a. transverse sectional view Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a'c'or'ner of a perspective view oa toy house constructed in accordancev with what is at the structure showing themethod of its coiil structionind f i Fig. l is a sectional view taken on the line 4:-4 of Fig. ly showing a construction for blank walls. y r

The setoi blocks or units illustrating my invention are designed to build such a struc-v ture as the house shown inflig. l. This house is generally of rectangular sha-pe beingcoinposedfof two sides and two end walls through which appropriate vopenings are provided for windows andfdocrsand a slant roof which may be provided Withcneor 9 are proviced with a pair of tenons i more chimneys. Other forins of houseothei than of rectangular shape, and various types of roofs, fiat orV gabled, may likewise be substituted for the roof shown, as will inost clearly appeail hereinafter. 1n the description and clainis l may refer to the various units which enter into the construction of a structure, such as that illustrated, as blocks,

but I intend no limitation by this word and use it as meaning any piece of material regardless of length, width,Y thickness, shape or func-tion, which may be adaptable for the purposes or uses of the invention. @ther words and phrases may be utilized in the description and claiins in a like inanner. Most of theblocks, such as those indicated at e, and 5,v the tenon 4 being adapted to entend into corresponding rabbet 6 and the tenen 5 being adapted to extend into a Corresponding rabbet 'l' fornied in an adjacent block 3 or the like. The tenons /1 and 5 preferably extend substantially at right angles to one another and longitudinally of the blocks, that is, along one side thereof and as the rabbets 6 and 7 forined in an adjacent and connecting block are correspondingly formed, thetwo blocks inay be slid endwise of one another when the tenons and rabbets are aligned to interconnect thein. Ylhis provides a structure in which the blocks are locked against relative niovenient in any direct-ion except longitudinally of one another or of their corresponding rabbets and tenons. n l

l prefer to provide foundation sill blocks 8, 9, 10 and 11 which are of one piece each and mitered, as shown at 12, at their corners provided with tenen 13V and rabbets 111-. for interlocking engagement with one another, as will be clear from lf' 3. rThese foundation sill blocks are preferably pro- .vided with tenons i and 5 lon their upper faces vor sides for interlocking engagement with the first row of blocks 3 which are preferably slid thereon before the sill blocks are Vconnected together when a blank wall,

Y such as that illustrated at the left of Fig. 1,

is desired. 1f the structinfe to have a door opening, such as that shown at 15, the tenons Lil and 5 of the sill block of the side in which the door is to be formed are cut away as Y shown at 16 for a distance equal to or greater than thelength of the longest block in the first row of blocks 8 on the sill. This door opening may be of any desirable height, depending on the height of the house and othes:1 factors which will. 'be understood and if desired may be entirely closed by blocks 3 or other similar blocks interlocked with the blocks forini'ig therwall without any exterior As will be noted, the bottom face of each block 8 has a flat bottoni face 17 adjacent its exterior side so that it may rest flush upon the outer marginal 'portion of the face er j Leer/,ear

16 of the sill 10. rllhe window openings are similarly formed and are provided at their bottoni sides with window sill blocks 18 which are, of course, rabbeted to correspond with the tenons -1 and 5 of 'the blocks 3 on which they are slid and to which they. are secured in interlocking engagement.

lV hen a blank wall is desired such as that illustrated at the lefty hand end of Fig. 1, the first row of blocks may be slid on the sill block 11 before the latter is connected-to the. sill blocks 9 and 10, as previously described, but thereafter provision is niade forbuilding the wall piecemeal without theV necessity of first assembling all the blocks necessary to compose each row on the row of blocks below it. rlhis is accomplished by providing one key block 19 in each of the rows above the bottoni. rlhis rkey block is shown in cross section in Fig. 4f and differs from the other blocks, particularly in that the tenon 5 is cut away leaving only the tenon 4c remaining so that it may be Vinserted in the wall. after the other blocks of its row have been put in place by slipping on to the upper i i surface of the key block iinniediately below it and thereafter sliding to the right or left, as may be desired. ',The other blocks in any one row may, of course, be slid into such row by engaging their lower edge or upper rabbeted surfaces or edges over the single.

tenoned top` of the key block in the row below theni and thereafter sliding the blocks to the right or left until they have becoine interlocked with those blocks having two tenons. The key blocks are preferably the saine length as or of slightly vgreater lengthA than any other block in its or its adjacent rows so that the other blocks of its or its adjacent rows may be easily inserted in place. blocks are of various lengths and staggered with respect to one another in adjacent rows so that the joints between adjacent blocks in any one row do not line up with the joints in an adjacent row above or below Vit` The corner blocks respectively, for each corner are initered, as at 23 and 2/1, similarly to the, initier-ing of the foundation sill blocks and in order to As will be noted from 1, the

imA

lill

vdesignated 21 and 22,

provide an interlocking corn-er each alterf nate block on each side rabbeted, shown at Q5, to receive a tenen 26 formed on a correspondingly alternate block on the op-V` posite side. In Fig. 3 the corner blocks 21 and 22 are shown in position ready to be slid longitudinallvof the foundation sill blocks ff. interlocking --engageinent Awith one another and with the sill blocks to provide the interlocking corner.

Special blocks provided for interlockingly connecting the roof and side walls, and for the type of roof illustrated interchangeable blocks 27 are provided. rlllhese blocks arepref-erably provided with J@W0 pairs of "rettete 2s and 29, 28 alla 29, vbeing adapted to interlcckingly engage and the '.iirst pair receive the tenons 6 and V7 respectively of the 3 and the second pair a correspondingly tenoned eaves block 3l, and with a' pair of tenons 32 and 33 substantially identical in construction with the tenons 6 and 7 for interlocking engagement with al series of roof blocks 34, which in turny are preferably interchangeable with the eaves block 3l. The roof is provided with a special ridge block 35 which has diagonally opposed rabbets (see Figs. l and 2) for interlocking connection with the blocks forming the opposite slopes ofthe roof. This block is, as will be apparent, interchangeable as to either slope of the roof.

The end wall illustrated in Fig. 2 has been shown as constructedof blocks Vslightly d ifferent in size from the yblocks composing the visible end Wall in Fig. l, in vorder to show the diversity of sizes of blocks which may.

be utilized. The main differences between tthe blocks utilized in constructing the end :ill

side thereof.l l v 2.)'In a2' structure fof thecharacter de! wall shown in Fig. 2 and the blocks utilized for the construction ofthe end wall shown4 in Fig. l will be pointed out by referring to Fig. 2. Instead of having' aV series of'blocks forming the row immediately below the special blocks 27v pref-er Ato 'employ a continuous -ory single' cornice block designated 36 which is provided with tenons and rabbets similar to the tenons and rabbets 4, `5, 6 and 7 for interlocking engagement with the rows of blocks above and below it and lwith mitered and tenonedor rabbeted ends, as the case may be, for connection to the side wall end blocks in corresponding rows. vThis cornice block is adapted to hold the sides lof the structure against, giving way or lbuckling underv the. weight of the roof. AThe blocks 87, 87, 38, 38 and 39 are each formed as one blocl: instead of asvseveral blocks shown in the lopposite end and if desired both ends ofthe building may be constructed in ,thesam'e way. Y A

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form` of my invention it will be apparentthat it is susceptible of wide variation and modification, bearing little resemblance to theform illustratedexcept in function or other essential features andV for such reason 'Il do not desire Vto be limited to the formillustrated and described but only by the spirit of the `invention and the `scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

l. In a structure of Vthe character' described, a block having a tenon along one side thereof and Va kpair ofrabbetsV substantially adjacentV yand parallel one another longitudinally and of substantially rectangu-V lar cross-sectional shape each, along'another nally of the corner having a scribed, a block having a pair of tenons substantially adjacent andfparallel longitudinally of one another, and a tenon extending at anl angle in thedirection of its length to` one ofsaidpair of tenons. l i

`3. In ua' structure of the character described, a block :ha-ving substantially adjacent vand parallel one an-v other longitudinally and of substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape each, and a tenen-extending atanangle in the-'direction of its length `to o ne of said pair of .rab-

ets. Y 7

4. In a structure of thecharacter described, -a block having'a pairl of tenons sub,- stantially adjacent andv parallel longitudione another, and a rabbet in said block extending -in the directiony of its length at an anglel to the longitudinal axis of one of saidtenons. l I

5. In a structure of Athe character described, a. vblock having appairof rabbets substantiallyadjacent,and parallel oneanother along their longitudinal. axes', and a third rabbet in said block extending-in the i superposed blocks on each side of the cor- L ner, said blocks having' cooperative rabbets -and tenons adapted to interlockingly connect said blocks against vertical and lateral displacement with respect to one another, i

blocks on each side at ftenon at their ends adapted tofbe received in rabbets formed the ends of alternate Il the adjacent ends of alternate blocks of ythe other side. v

7'. In a structure of the character described, a corner construction comprising superposed blocks on eachside of thecorner, said blocks having interlocking rabbets 4and tenons `for securing them against `vertical and lateral displacement with respect' toV one another,v the ends of theblocks of one side abutting the ends of the blocks ofthe other side, and means `integral Vwith the abutting ends of the blocks for .interlocking the said sidesof the structure together. v

8. In a .structure of the',y character `de scribed, a plurality ofbuilding blocks adapted to be interlockingly engaged with other blocks, certain of said blocks each having a pair of adjacent rabbets substantially parallel in length and substantially perpendicular in depth to one another and leach rec`- lin llJ

tangular in cross section adapted to receive va corresponding pair of tenonson adjacent blocks for locking the adjacentblocls thereto against relative movement transverse to one another, certain of said blocks each having a pair of parallel rabbetsv of rectangular cross section forniedadjacent one-another' and extended in directions substantially at right angles toV onev another, and certain other blocks having parallely tenons ci rectangular cross section iorined to coi'- scribed, a building block oi generally rectangular shape and cross section lia-ving a pair of longitudinally parallel tenons adjacent one edge, the adjoining sides of the tenons lying in intersecting planes and the sides of each tenen being substantially perpendicular to one another, and a pair of longitudinally parallel rabbets adjacent an opposite edge of :the block, the adjoining sides of the rabbets lying in intersecting planes and the sides ot each rabbet being substantially perpendicular to one another.

12, ln a structure of the character described, a building block having a tenon and a Vpair of rabbets of rectangular cross section adjoining one another and substantially parallel in one direction and extending away fat a angle lessthan a straight angle frein one another in another direction..

13. In a structure o'l the caaracter de` scribed, a building block having at one edge a-pair of tenons substantially adjacent and parallel one another longitudinally, oic substantially rectangular cross section each and substantially perpendicularto one another in depth.

14;. ln a structure of the character `described, a building block having at one edge a pairV .of rabbets of rectangular cross section substantially adjacent and parallel one another longitudinally and opening in directions at an angle to one another.

15. ln a structure of the character described, a building block having a pair ol tenons .substantially adjacent and parallel one another longitudinally and of substantially Vrectangulai' cross sectional s iape each, said tenons being substantially perpendicular to one another in depth, and apair o rabbets substantially adjacent and paral lel one another longitudinally, oit substantially rectangular cross sectional shape each and opening Yin directions substantially at right angles to each other. Y

k16. In a structure or the character described, a building block havinga rabbet elQDgjOne Side thereof, said rabbet being ot blocks superposed lined in c'laiin 15 andV interlockingly en` gaged against move-nient in a plurality of directions including inoveinent in a vertical direction with certain of the. blocks or' an adj acent row.

18. ln a structure ol' the character described, a plurality of superposed building blocks arranged in horizontal rows, certain blocks o'f each row being constructed as dened in claiin 15 and interlockingly engaged against inovenient in a plurality of direc tions with the b'locks oi' an yadj acent row, the blocks of one row being staggered Vwith respect to the blocks of an adjacentrow.

. 19. A structure oic the character describet having a plurality ci sides, eac-h side being coinposed of a plurality of building blocks superposed upon one another in substantially vhorizontal rows, certain blocks of each row being constructed as defined in claim 15 and interlockingly connected with certain of the blocks of an adjacent row, and ineans interlocliingly connecting the end blocks oi' certain of the rows at the intersection of the sides ot the structure.

20. A structure of the character described having a plurality of sides, each side being` compose-d o a plurality of building staiitially horizontal rows,` .blocks of each row being staggered with respect to theblocks of an adjacent row 'and constructed as defined in claim 15 whereby they are interloclringly connected with certain of the b'loclrs ot an adjacent row and against vertical and transverse nioveinent with respect to one another, and means interlockingly connectingthe end blocks of certain of the rows of each side of the structure at the intersection ot' the sides.

21. A structure oi" the character described having` a plurality of sides, each side being coinposed ot a. plurality ot building` blocks superposed upon one another in horizontal rows, certain blocks of each row being constructed as definedin claim 15 whereby they are interlockingly connected with ycertain of the blocks of adjacent rows above and below and against vertical and transverse displacenient relative thereto, and' means integral with the ends vof theV end blocks of certain of the rows at the intersection at the sides et tliestlleture for. murine Said Sides .t0-

o tenons substantially adupon one another in sub- Vcertain ofv thev gether, at least one of the blocks being omitted from atleast one row in one side to provide an opening therethrough.

22. A structure of the character described having a plurality of sides, each side being composed of a plurality ofbuilding blocks superposed upon one another in horizontal rows, certain blocks of each row beingr co-nstructed as defined in claim l5 whereby they are interlockingly connected with certain of the blocks of adjacent rows above andbelow and against Vertical and transverse displacement relative thereto, means integral with the ends of the end blocks ot' certain of the rows at the intersection of the sides of the structure for securing' said sides together, at least one ot' the blocks being omitted from at least one row at one side ing therethrough, and va roof structure composed in part at least of blocks of the character defined in claim l5 interlockingly engaged with and supported by certain of the 'blocks of one side ot the structure.

23. A structure of the character described aving a plurality of sides. each side being composed of a plurality of building" bloc'lrs superposed upon one another in horizontal rows, certain blocks of each row being constructed as defined in claim l5 whereby they are interlockingly connected with at least two of the blocks of an adjacent row above and an adjacent row below and against vertical and transverse displacement relative thereto, and means integral with the ends of the end blocks of certain of the rows at the intersection of the sides of the structure to provide an openfor securing said sides together, at least one of the blocks being omitted from at least one f row in at least one side to provide an opening therethrough.

24. A structure ofthe character described having a plurality of sides, each side beingv composed of a plurality ofbuilding blocks composed of a plurality of building blocksvv superposed upon one another in horizontal rows, certain b'locks of each row being constructed as deiined in lclaim l5 whereby they are interlockingly connected with at least two of the blocks of an adjacent row and against vertical and transverse displacement relative thereto, and a roof structure composed of interlocking blocks certainof which are oit' the i character deiined in claim 15 whereby they may be interlockingly engaged with and supported by certain of the blocks of one side.

In witness of the foregoing I affix my signature. l

p GEORGE BARGER. 

